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Harry Hairston and the NBC10 Investigators look into a 911 shooting prank that targeted a Millville video gamer's home. It's part of "Swatting" hoax that costs taxpayers thousands of dollars and puts people in danger.Listen to the full phone call and some of the police response (Published Friday, Oct. 24, 2014)

A local lawmaker is calling for more severe penalties for "swatting" -- a dangerous hoax that brings police officers with guns drawn into the homes of unsuspecting families -- after 30 police officers surrounded a South Jersey house earlier this year.

Rob Richards was playing video games with friends in the basement of his Millville, Cumberland County home on a recent Saturday night when police called and ordered the group, along with Rob's mother, Laura Richards, out of the house with their hands in the air.

"The cops are just asking, 'turn on all your lights, walk outside,'" Rob described.

His sister and father, who were asleep inside, were forced outside at gunpoint.

911 Swatting Call Pranks Family

One woman says her family has been the victim of 911 prank calls 18 times recently. A hoax so convincing that police have shown up to her house in the middle of the night, with guns drawn. This is the 911 call that provoked that incident.

(Published Monday, Oct. 27, 2014)

"They had us lay down on the pavement. It was just insane," said Rob, who broadcasts his game play online through a website called Twitch. "It was absolutely wild."

Moments before police arrived at the Richards' home, a caller had told a Millville 911 dispatcher an argument among relatives at that location had turned violent.

"My mom and dad got into an argument and it got physical," the caller said. "I took the gun and I shot my dad."

"It's unfortunate the taxpayers are going to have to pick up this bill," said Millville Police Lt. Jody Farabella, who added it took nearly three hours for investigators to confirm it was a hoax.

The local incident is similar to other reports of "swatting" across the country.

"They're hiding in cyberspace and they feel they can easily get away with it," said Rob Dovidio, an associate dean at Drexel University and cyber crimes expert. "It is a high-tech prank, but let's not minimize what's going on here."